1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing reels, and more particularly, to a fishing reel with an infinite anti-reverse (IAR) clutch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional fishing reels include a drag brake for providing drag or resistance against rotation of the spool when line is being played out so that a fish is tired during the fishing process and therefore may eventually be reeled in and caught. Typically, and preferably, the level of drag provided is adjustable by the fisherman in the course of fishing so that a drag appropriate to circumstances may be obtained. For example, when a line is being played out a relatively low level of drag may be desirable to prevent the spool from getting ahead of the line and causing a tangling of the line. When a fish is hooked, a higher level of drag may be desired so as to allow the fish to run and tire, and that level of drag may be adjusted from time to time as the size of the fish is better estimated and/or as the fish tires.
One known drag arrangement includes a stack of washers of different materials, wherein the washers of one material are fixed in relation to the main gear and the washers of the other material are fixed in relation to the main gear shaft on which the main gear rotates, so that the torque required for relative rotation between the washers generates drag that can be adjusted by changing the axial load placed on the stack of washers. Typically, the washers are a mix of metal washers and fiber washers that exhibit friction when in contact with each other. An adjustment knob, such as a star wheel, is typically provided for adjusting the pressure applied to the stack of washers and therefore the drag level. U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,655 entitled “DRAG APPARATUS FOR CONVENTIONAL AND SPINNING REELS” describes a drag system of this type.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a related art star wheel, infinite anti-reverse (IAR) clutch fishing reel 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the reel 10 includes a left side plate 12, a frame 14, a spool 16, and a right side plate 18. On an exterior of the right side plate 18, the reel 10 includes a handle blank 20, with a counterbalance weight 22 and a handle knob 24 thereon, a tension washer 26, and an adjustment member 28, for example, a star wheel 28.
In the interior thereof, the reel 10 includes a click housing 30 and a detent spring 32 held by the click housing 30 to engage detents in the star wheel 28. This engagement creates a ratcheting action and a clicking sound upon rotation of the star wheel 28. The reel 10 also includes a pair of Belleville washers 34, a clutch sleeve 36 concentrically disposed within a one-way or IAR clutch 38, and a drag stack 40. The drag stack 40 includes at least one metal drag washer 42 and at least one fiber drag washer 44. Each fiber drag washer 44 is made of woven carbon fiber and includes a plurality of ears around the perimeter of thereof. An example of such a fiber drag washer 44 is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,655, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The ears of the fiber drag washers 44 fit into corresponding recesses in a main gear 46. Thus the fiber drag washers 44 are constrained to rotate with the main gear 46. The reel 10 also includes a spacer washer 48, a spacer 50, a gear stud 52, a gear stud bearing retainer 54, and a gear stud bearing 56. The gear stud bearing retainer 54 retains the gear stud bearing 56 within the reel 10, and the gear stud 52 is connected to the gear stud bearing 56, for example, by a screw 58. Thus, the gear stud 52 is rotatably disposed about a first axis within the reel 10.
FIG. 2 illustrates that the spacer 50, the spacer washer 48, the main gear 46, the drag stack 40, the one-way clutch 38, the clutch sleeve 36, the Belleville washers 34, and the star wheel 28 are concentrically disposed relative to the gear stud 52. Although mounted on the gear stud bearing 56, because of the unidirectional rotation permitted by the one-way clutch 38, the gear stud 52 only rotates in a single (line in or retrieval) direction. Additionally, the spacer 50, the metal drag washers 42, and the clutch sleeve 36 are constrained to rotate with the gear stud 52. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 50, the metal drag washers 42, and the clutch sleeve 36 are keyed to the gear stud 52. Thus, the metal drag washers 42 are constrained to rotate with the gear stud and the fiber drag washers 44 are constrained to rotate with the main gear 46.
The reel 10 additionally includes a pinion gear 62 (best shown in FIG. 2) that engages the main gear 46 and selectively engages the spool 16 by operation of an eccentric lever 64.
User rotation of the handle 20, which is connected to the gear stud 52, for example, by a nut 60, turns the gear stud 52. Thus, via the drag stack 40, the gear stud 52 turns the main gear 46, which, through the pinion 62, turns the spool 16 when the pinion 62 engages the spool 16.
To increase drag, the user tightens the star wheel 28, which compresses the Belleville washers 34, which transmit the force axially to the drag stack 40 via the clutch sleeve 36. This transmitted axial force compresses the fiber drag washers 44 of the drag stack 40.
The clutch sleeve 36 is used as a spacer to transmit the axial force between the star wheel 28 and the drag stack 40. Thus, the clutch sleeve acts as a drag adjuster. Additionally, the clutch sleeve also transmits rotational force (torque) applied as tension on a line wrapped on the spool 16. In other words, tension on the line is transferred to the spool 16, which is transferred to the pinion 62, to the main gear 46, to the fiber drag washers 44, to the metal drag washers 42, to the gear stud 52, to the clutch sleeve 36, to the one-way clutch 38. Under load (such as a large fish taking drag or snagged pulling on the line), the clutch sleeve 36 becomes “locked” to the gear stud 52 and the one-way clutch 38 due to friction. In this condition, the return force of the compressed fiber drag washers 44 is insufficient to overcome the friction and displace the clutch sleeve axially outward. Therefore, because of the rotational force (torque) fighting the axial movement, backing off the star wheel 28 in this condition does not decrease the drag force unless slack is applied to the line, thereby allowing the clutch sleeve 36 to release from the gear stud 52 and axially displace relative to the gear stud 52.
In other words, in general, because every force is balanced by an equal and opposite force, to adjust compression of the drag stack 40, the drag stack 40 must have force applied both on the axially inward side (right side as shown in FIG. 2) and the axially outward side (left side as shown in FIG. 2). For brevity, hereinafter, the axially inward and outward sides will be respectively referred to as the inward and outward sides. When force is applied to the drag stack by tightening the star wheel 28, the components of the drag stack compress slightly, resulting in relative movement between the inward side force-applying member and the outward side force-applying member. For the drag to release when the star wheel 28 is moved to reduce drag (i.e., backed off), the inward and outward side force-applying members need to displace relative to each other to allow the drag stack 40 to decompress. When the drag stack 40 decompresses, the force is reduced and the drag is lowered.
More specifically, in the reel 10, the inward side force is applied by the gear stud 52 and the outward side force is applied by the clutch sleeve 36, to which the gear stud is keyed. As a result of compression of the drag stack 40, the clutch sleeve 36 displaces relative to the gear stud 52 when drag is applied. The torque from the drag stack 40 is transmitted from the gear stud 52 to the clutch sleeve 36. The gear stud 52 cannot freely axially displace relative to the clutch sleeve 36 when this torque is transmitted due to friction. Thus, even if the star wheel 28 is moved to reduce drag, the drag cannot be reduced without first releasing the tension on the line, thereby allowing the clutch sleeve 36 to displace axially relative to the gear stud 52.
Known remedies fall short of complete incremental drag force during backing off of the star wheel 28. One such method includes smoothing the surface finish between the clutch sleeve 36 and the gear stud 52. Another method includes increasing the contact area between the clutch sleeve 36 and the gear stud 52, and allowing greater clearances between the mating parts. The goal of these methods is to decrease the friction between the clutch sleeve 36 and the gear stud 52, to allow the clutch sleeve to back off in direct relationship to movement of the star wheel. As previously noted, however, these methods fail to achieve their goal.